To celebrate Redwood City’s 150th anniversary, the City launched two fun ways to get involved in the Sesquicentennial festivities! The Redwood City Through Your Lens photo contest is a way for you to get involved in the Sesquicentennial celebration year-round and win fun prizes! Redwood City Then and Now Photo Share events are designed for community members of all ages to come together, share photos, stories, and learn about Redwood City’s past.

Take a look at these three pre-incorporation periods in Redwood City’s past, covered eloquently by author Mitchell Postel, president of the San Mateo County History Museum. These excerpts come from his book “San Mateo County – A Sesquicentennial History” – which he released in 2007 just after the County celebrated their own 150th anniversary.

Redwood City celebrates its Sesquicentennial year in style this summer, starting off with a special 150th Festival and Flower Extravaganza on Saturday, May 20th from 12 p.m. — 9 p.m.!

This elaborate, free event in downtown Redwood City guarantees a fun-filled day of exciting, historic activities, music, entertainment, culture, dancing, food, beverages, and a wonderful time for the entire family.

New migrants pouring into the city from San Francisco’s earthquake and resulting firestorm of 1906 began to change the political life of Redwood City. The new homeowners organized to influence the political and business life of their new hometown, forming a “Good Government League” in December of 1907.

The early government dealt with what might be considered mundane issues. Some examples in the 1890s: a request for a wagon and foot bridge across the creek connecting Second and Webster streets to enable schoolchildren to get to the new school; a requirement that hucksters obtain a license costing $20, which was good for only 24 hours; and an ordinance regulating the riding of bicycles and tricycles on the streets between sunset and sunrise.

What’s in a name? The names of Redwood City’s Hawes, Stafford, Stulsaft, and Spinas parks reflect the histories of the people who played prominent roles in creating today's Redwood City. Read on to learn more about your local parks!

National Historic Preservation Month, an annual celebration of America’s rich architectural and cultural history, is a tradition that was first sponsored in 1971 by the National Trust for Historic Preservation — although until 2005 it was only a week-long celebration. Redwood City has taken part in the celebration for many years, and 2017 will be a special one as it also marks the 150th Anniversary of the City’s incorporation!

When the Redwood City Woman’s Club’s building hit the century mark in 1911 there was frequent lauding of the venerable group’s “foremothers,” depicted as taking a daring step at a time when women were, as one club official put it, “expected to stay in their homes and concentrate exclusively on their own family.”

For 17 years we lived next door to whales, porpoises, seals, water-ski extravaganzas, jungle playgrounds and excursion canals to exotic lands. It was a place where a lucky few would pet a cheetah or be kissed by a dolphin! It was Marine World and it changed Redwood City.

March is Woman’s History month, a good time to recall that women made history in San Mateo County as far back as 1910. In fact, they literally wrote it.

The July 4, 1910 edition of the Redwood City Democrat covered every aspect of the new County Courthouse that was dedicated on that date, but in hindsight that issue of the paper was important for another reason: it was the first time women produced the Democrat.

People rushing to catch trains in Redwood City zip by a sculpture of Dona Maria Soledad Ortega de Arguello, whose land became home to generations of Peninsula residents and whose family was part of one of the great tragic romances of California history.

Celebrating 4th of July has been a highly anticipated part of Redwood City’s civic calendar since its early days. The first local newspaper, the San Mateo County Gazette, recounts in 1861 hosting patriotic activities, such as John Diller reading the Declaration of Independence at the flagpole. It also makes modern readers feel like they were there when excited locals awaited news from the Pony Express about the war, which had recently begun.

Redwood City has been known as the business center of the Peninsula and throughout the years many exciting industries have called it home, including salt, agriculture, tech and many more. This article will give insights to some of Redwood City’s oldest industries include logging, tanning and flower growing.

In April 1865 the cornerstone for the first library in Redwood City was laid. Located on Main Street a short distance south of Broadway (then named Bridge Street), the library shared a building with the San Mateo County Gazette newspaper. Most libraries at this time, including Redwood City’s, were subscription based, founded by an association whose members bought stock in the enterprise and managed it for the cultural benefit of the community.

Caltrain needs a tour guide, someone who clicks on the PA and tells riders about the historical sites that are whizzing by. OK, I’m being facetious. Caltrain has enough to do running a commute line that dates back to 1863.